COIMBATORE: Captive elephants at Kozhikamuthi elephant camp no longer need to be taken to Sethumadai, 8 km away, for weighing them as a weighbridge has been established at the site itself.
Assessing weight is key to check the animal's health and ferrying them to another site for weighing poses risk apart from entailing expenses and inconvenience to the forest department staff.
The weighbridge at the camp, located in the Ulanthy forest range in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), was constructed as part of the modernisation work scheduled in the 2024-25 period.
The capacity of the weighbridge is 20 tonnes, whereas the capacity of an elephant carrier lorry is only about 15 tonnes.
A senior official of ATR said: "The weighbridge would help us in assessing the camp elephants on a monthly basis and tracking their physical fitness. A diet chart is prepared and other measures are being taken by the veterinarian based on their weight.
Similarly, weighing of rescued elephants, temple elephants, and other elephants that are brought to the kraal (a wooden enclosure) for a soft landing are also done here. The weighbridge is also used to check the weight of elephant feed, both dry and green."
Another official said a weighbridge is essential to detect elephants' health as it is often difficult to assess it from their appearance. "Twenty-three elephants, 15 males and eight females, are being maintained at the Kozhikamuthi and Varagaliyar elephant camps," he said.
As part of the camp modernisation, a check dam, drainage, seating arena for visitors to see the elephant feeding, Elephant Proof Trenches (EPT) and sewage facilities for the tribal people were constructed at the Kozhikamuthi camp at a cost of Rs 5.40 crore, said sources.
Construction of 47 houses for mahouts and kavadis at the Kozhikamuthi tribal settlement, who take care of the captive elephants, is over, and it will be inaugurated soon.
"To prevent wild elephants from coming inside the captive elephant camp, we have dug EPT for 1.1 km covering the campsite at Kozhikamuthi tribal settlement. Solar lighting has been provided at the residential quarters for mahouts and Kavadis," the sources added.
The Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) is yet to have a weighbridge.